


Thunderchilds crewman

by Hiei_Curry



Category: The War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells
Genre: Post-Invasion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:54:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23653408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hiei_Curry/pseuds/Hiei_Curry
Summary: After the Martian Invasion a reporter is sent to a hospital to collect a story for his paper.
Kudos: 2





	Thunderchilds crewman

**Author's Note:**

> Authors note: So thanks to Drachinifel's channel for Permission to use his design of Thunderchild.
> 
> Also i hope enjoy this little story which is not only to pay tribute to Thunderchild but also the crew of Thunderchild who made the sacrifice and to those who have made such a sacrifice in real life.
> 
> I don't own War of the Worlds or Thunderchild only the characters in this little short.

The reporter waited; his escort was a young nurse she could barely have been nineteen. She motioned for him to follow her, she did not seem pleased to see him there a theory, that was proved by her words as they reached a door.

"Just so you know I feel this kind of thing to be utterly horrid, these poor boys have enough troubles without you." She scowled as she opened the door and walked through followed by the reporter.

The reporter entered the room. The sole occupant of the small, slightly dark room was a young man barely twenty, if his looks were anything to go by, not that there was much to go on-the man's face was badly scarred on his left side, his left eye covered by an eye patch.

The man's uniform gave him away as a sailor, a rating if the reporters knowledge of the naval uniforms of the Royal Navy had not let him down, the most telling of the man’s uniform was his damaged cap with the ships name.

The nurse stood to the side and seemed to be watching her charge with the attention of a mother watching her new born baby.

When the sailor saw the man enter, he stood to attention, like he was trained to do, though the man tried his best not to show it, the act seemed to still hurt to move so suddenly.

"Pleased to meet you sir." The sailor offered his right hand, his left was bandaged.

"No, please the pleasure is mine." the reporter shook the man's hand, though he was careful not to use too hard a grip given the man's state "Please sit."

"Thank you, sir." The sailor struggled to sit down again.

"How are you feeling?"

"As well as can be expected sir."

"I take it you know why I am here?"

"Yes sir, I am."

"Well then shall we begin?" the reporter asked, taking out his note pad.

"Seaman Ted Malone, gunner on HMS Thunderchild, what would you like to know sir?"

"Well how about we start from the beginning."

"It had been a few days since I first saw, what I thought was a natural occurrence from Mars, when I was transferred to Thunderchild. I have to say she was a unusual ship to me when I first saw her, not a design I was familiar with, that torpedo-ram, but she seemed a capable ship and I was happy to be on board, she had two twelve inch guns to the front in a turret, a single nine inch gun to the rear, a collection of smaller guns all over the ship with four submerged torpedo tubes capable of twenty one knots.” The reporter was surprised by Ted’s ability to remember his ships weapon details so well, the reporter guessed it was told to him once he became part of the crew.

“If only I knew what role me and my ship mates would play in future, I would likely have been scared stiff." Ted said morosely.

"When did you first notice something was wrong?"

"I was in my bunk, I think was reading a letter from my sister, when we were all called to our action stations." the sailor took a sip of water before continuing "I originally thought it was a drill, then we were told we would be heading from the Thames estuary to the Essex coast, then everyone got the feeling that something was up, we weren't told much between setting sail and reaching our post, but once there, we got told the horrid truth, people we're being evacuated from what at the time was an unknown invader. I felt my blood boil at the news I just wanted to get my hands on one of those unknown attackers."

"Before we get to the battle could you tell me where on the ship you were posted." The reporter jumped in and brought out a copy of the plan of the ship that he had brought with him, the reporter had to admit the ship was unique, he thought the ship was a little small to be such a hero, but then he was no ship designer.

Ted, without a moment's hesitation pointed to the open gun at the rear of the ship “Here sir, the rear nine-point two-inch gun.”

"Thank you." replied the reporter "So about the day of the battle?"

"Ah yes, we had been off the Essex coast watching ships go by carrying civilians, I watched the ships go by from my station, the sight of those on board filled me with a mix of sorrow and anger at the sight of those terrified faces onboard." The sailor looked down, his good hand grabbing the chair tight enough to make his knuckles white.

Once Ted had composed himself, he continued "About five in the afternoon, we suddenly head the cry for hands to man their action stations and me and another sailor from my gun crew, who had been with me watching the ships sail by, ran to our gun and made ready for action."

"I felt the ships engines rumble and the ship vibrated, but instead of what I thought we would be doing, heading out to sea, we were heading inland. I do say I was confused sir; I was thinking the enemy had snuck into the harbour and were about to attack the ships or were the enemy closing in to the docks and we were going to bombard the shore, we still did not know what we would be facing, we had heard rumours of machines setting men aflame but most of us put these down to wild rumour and ignored them."

"We were sailing at full speed now and I could feel my fear and trepidation swelling in me like a storm. Off to the side I saw one of the loaders, King, praying. I remember him being a very Christian man and took his prayers very seriously. I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder, I told him not to worry, that we would smash the enemy and all would be fine, he didn't seem to agree and went back to his prayers. I left him alone till I heard the faint sound of cannons coming from the shore, then a voice, that of the captain telling the crew we were moving in to engage the enemy and protect the civilian ships that were leaving, followed by a small gun being fired by a ship, I'm not sure which."

"I was thinking where they that close to port, this series of events really unnerved me. I went back to King, who was still praying and asked if he would put in a good word for me, I was expecting a jest or jibe, but he merely nodded and went back to his prayers, now was not the time to be fighting each other."

"I can't talk for the rest for the crew, but those at my station had the feeling of a dark gloom hanging over us, though none of us said a word to the other, we were all keeping our fears to ourselves."

"As we went in, all we could hear was the ships engines and the distant cannons, passing ships carrying civilians as we did."

"The crew were silent as we went in, the only sound we could hear now was the sounds of the ships we were to protect running from a threat that we in the rear could not yet see, then suddenly I saw a paddle steamer that was swaying in our wake, we heard shouts and cry's from those on board, they seemed thrilled to see us, like our presence would make this threat run away."

"I was possessed of an insane resolve, I wanted to know why we weren't firing and I wanted to see these invaders that had brought such terror to the faces of those on the ships, even if I were to die I wished to see what threat we faced and see who these invaders were, so I moved to the side of the ship to see. What I know now as a Tripod, they looked strange to me, they seemed a bizarre ship to me, at the time."

"As we closed in, the three closed together for protection, rather like prey in the face of a predator, I was confused as to why we weren't firing or more importantly why they weren't firing, perhaps the boldness of our attack had stunned them, or perhaps they thought us one of them, I remember thinking they must know we are hostile to them, surely they will attack any moment now and I would be killed."

"Then the front most machine fired a canister at our larboard side that ricocheted off the side with a clang, followed by a cloud of inky black smoke."

"I don't know what the smoke was made of but it made me cough, though other than that it didn't seem to do much, perhaps we were through the stuff too quick for it to have an effect."

"I saw the three Tripods move backwards, trying to head to the coast, one seemed to raise what looked like a camera from its front, then followed a bright light and the ship shook, followed by a bank of steam which obscured my view of what happened next. The next thing I know for sure was the ship lurched and I was nearly thrown to the deck as Thunderchild hit something and the sound of metal scraping filled my ears with a high pitch shriek."

"Then the call of open fire was heard and I ran back to my gun position. Our gun remained silent as it had no target, but I heard the two twelve-inch guns firing off one after the other, followed by the six inches and six pounder guns, sounding like the drums of war. I thought the Tripods would be destroyed in seconds under such a barrage. As we sailed on, I saw the remains of the metal machine we had rammed pass by."

"The next thing I remember clearly is the deck heaving and suddenly I was flying till I hit the water. When I surfaced, next to a piece of wreckage, I turned just in time to see the burning wreck drive headlong at her killers, determined to take at least one with her. Just as she hit and made the monster fold up, a cloud of steam erupted and came towards me. I tried to cover my face as best I could, but the steam scolded me and I let out a scream, a piece of burning wreckage hit me and did this." Ted pointed to his scarred face.

"Gasping and coughing I looked to see my ship was gone, just wreckage remained. I passed out at this time; when I next woke up, I found myself in the sickbay of another ship." Ted paused and looked away, he seemed to be struggling with some invisible thing in his mind, the reporter saw him shake and tears started to fall, he let out a shaky breath “My apologies sir.” Ted tried to continue through a shaky breath.

"When I woke, I was told all my shipmates had…" Ted paused again. This time the nurse knelt next to him, Ted tried his best to hold back his tears, but they overwhelmed him. The nurse hugged him tight like a mother would a child, whispering that it was alright to him as he grabbed her arm with his free hand. The reporter put his pencil down and looked at the poor man, the reporter didn't need to hear this part he knew it already it. Thunderchild had gone with almost all her crew only five were recovered including Ted and he was the only one who lived, the rest of the three hundred and forty crew went down with the ship.

"I'll think we'll leave it, here don't you?" the nurse looked at the reporter, he got the distinct impression that she was silently ordering him to stop the interview.

"Of course, thank you for your time, I'll leave you in peace." the reporter answered as he stood up.

The nurse whispered as she stood up and went to escort the reporter. Ted reached out with his good hand, as if begging her to stay "I'll be back." she smiled to him as she and the reporter left.

Once outside her smile turned to a scowl "The poor boys suffered enough without you bringing up these memories."

"It’s part of the job ma'am, just trying to do it." The reporter defended.

The nurse reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper "He did something for you how about you do something for him, this is his sisters name and address, try finding her. I've seen enough of you leeches profiteering from these poor boys, try helping them for once!"

"I will add it to the end of story, see if I can find her for him and thank you." The reporter replied.

The nurse scoffed not believing him and went back into the room.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little story.
> 
> Farewell Thunderchild gone but not forgotten.


End file.
